Hulbert, Henry Stephen

Born in Victor, New York, in 1851, Henry Stephen Hulbert worked on his family’s farm and as a railroad conductor for the Union Pacific and Southern Pacific lines before settling in Fresno County in 1879. A pioneer founder of Selma, Hulbert purchased the first commercial lot sold in the town, where he erected its initial two-story commercial building and public hall. After securing a 160-acre land claim, he overcame early dry-farming setbacks by establishing extensive vineyards of Muscat, Malaga, and Thompson Seedless grapes, alongside a productive peach orchard.

A strong advocate for agricultural cooperation, Hulbert was instrumental in organizing local support and securing initial capital subscriptions for the California Raisin Growers’ Association, later extending his leadership to the California Associated Raisin Company and the California Peach Growers, Inc. He expanded into financial leadership as president of the First National Bank of Del Rey, a director of the Selma National Bank, and an organizer of the Le Grand Bank in Merced County. Married to Emma Litchfield in 1882, with whom he had five children—Hettie, May, Goldie California, Victor, and Velma—Hulbert also served as Del Rey’s Liberty Loan chairman during World War I, cementing his reputation as a dedicated civic leader and leading agricultural capitalist in Fresno County.